The Prophets Of Allah

Battle Of Badr 2

Abu Lahab himself, the uncle of the prophet PBUH, and chief of the Banu Hashim, decided not to go and instead found someone to go in his place. The person, Al Asr bin Wa'il, had an oustanding loan of 4000 dirham to Abu Lahab. So Abu Lahab said "go in my place and I'll forgive this loan and wipe it out". It's not mentioned why he didn't go - Allah knows best. There was probably a sense of personal conflict, that at the end of the day, its his subtribe he will be fighting and its his own nephew. He ultimately could not meet his own tribe in battle - this goes against all that he stands for. Indeed the main thing in those days was tribalism and this went against what that stood for. Even though Abu Lahab is not worthy of praise, we find at some times Abu Lahab did some things of nobility. When the prophet PBUH was born he was so happy he freed a slave; and because of this the prophet PBUH said he will be given a little bit of water. Also, he initially protected the prophet PBUH after the death of Abu Talib. Despite all that happened, he said at the end of the day "since he's my tribe I must protect him". So deep down he had a sense of Jaheleya in him that stopped him from fighting the prophet PBUH in battle.

Also note even though Abu Lahab is of the worst, Abu Jahal and Ubayah were even worse that him. Further Utbah ibn Rabbiyah initially did not go - he was the person who gifted the grapes to the prophet PBUH after the incident of Taif (with the christian slave). Again this person Utbah, a distant uncle of the prophet PBUH, had some noble traits. He decided not to fight because they were his blood relatives. However his brother Shaybah said "If we abadon our people now, it will forever be a cause of embarrasment". So the both of them prepared to go out - but ultimately they both died, and they both died amongst the first deaths in the mubaraza (the pre battle which preceeds the war). Utbah clearly demonstrates values - he's the one who tried to prevent the battle until the very last second. When the two armies lined up, Utbah was so disgusted cousins and uncles would fight each other he jumped on his red camel and told the Quraysh "don't fight, even if you win you will lose since you will kill your own brother and uncles - blame it one me and my cowardice, tell them! Let the blame come to me". That is truly a sense of nobility. But ultimately the battle went on.

Note this mentality that you will blindly follow your people even though they do wrong is not of Islam. You follow the truth wherever that may be. In fact the prophet PBUH himself said "if anyone has any wisdom/good it is the man on the red camel". So the prophet PBUH is testifying Utbah to be good; if they have any good it is this man Utbah. But still Abu Jahal went over and then Utbah in his anger (Abu Jahal accused him of something) became the first person to fight in the mubaraza. Look at blind range - look at "I dont care I will support my cause right or wrong". And he thus became the first person to die in Badr. Note he became his own victim of fanaticism. It was only a sense of Jaheleya tribalism that prevented him from fighting. It wasn't about right or wrong which ultimately led him to death.

So Utbah and Abu Lahab perhaps their reasons of not wanting to go was noble from a Jaheleya status. But Uqba ibn Abu Mu'ayt also did not go. He was perhaps the lowest of the low of the enemies of the prophet PBUH. As we said there was a spectrum of enemies in Mecca. The best of them was Abu Suffyan - despite of his jaheleya he had a sense of nobility in him. Thus he never did anything vulgar or cruel. Generally speaking those that were noble enemies Allah guided them. Those who had no manners etc were not guided. Uqbah was perhaps the worst of the worst - filthiest of the filthy. This is perhaps why Allah didn't even mention him in the Quran. He's so filthy he wasn't mentioned. Uqbah was that one who snuck up behind the prophet PBUH and tried to choke him and Abu Bukr said "will you kill a man because he says Allah is His Lord?!" Then Abu Bukr was beatan, bloodied and bruised until he was in bed for a week. Uqbah was the one who approved the assissnation of the prophet PBUH. And he was that person who when Abu Jahal said "who amongst you will pick up the carcuss/intenstines of the animal and throw it on Muhammad when he's doing sajdah". Not the sajdah was an Islamic routine - this posture thus was being mocked by the Quraysh. As Ibn Ishaaq says the most worst of the people stood up, Uqbah. And note he is a rich noble men, yet he picks up this filthy crap - can you imagine his mentality? They were all laughing when he threw it and ibn Masu'd said "I saw him but could not do anything". And then Fatimah RA as a young girl is the one who helps the prophet PBUH. And its narrated Uqbah once sarcastically invited the prophet PBUH to a meal. And the prophet PBUH said "I will never eat with you until you testify". In his anger he spit on the face of the prophet PBUH. And he predicted "Oh Uqbah when I meet you outside Mecca, I shall kill/execute you while you are tied up". SubhanAllah. And because of this Uqbah was frightened when he heard of the Battle of Badr; he said "this man has promised to kill me so I can't go outside". Look at the irony here - deep down he knew the prediction was true. But one of his family said "don't worry I have the fastest camel, even if the army flees your camel will take you fast away". So he decided to go ahead. But of course you cannot outwit the promise of Allah. When the army fled, Uqbah's camel was the first to flee. So he was left in the middle of the plane with no protection - and he was captured and executed (one of the two who were executed).